Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011, is best known for introducing the superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27.
A second series of the same title was launched in the fall of 2011, but in 2016, reverted to the original volume numbering. The series is the source of its publishing company's name, and—along with Action Comics, the series that launched with the debut of Superman—one of the medium's signature series. The series published 881 issues between 1937 and 2011 and is the longest continuously published comic book in the United States.
Publication history
Detective Comics was the final publication of the entrepreneur Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, whose comics company, National Allied Publications, would evolve into DC Comics, one of the world's two largest comic book publishers, though long after its founder had left it. Wheeler-Nicholson's first two titles were the landmark New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine #1, colloquially called New Fun Comics #1 and the first such early comic book to contain all-original content, rather than a mix of newspaper comic strips and comic-strip-style new material. His second effort, New Comics #1, would be retitled twice to become Adventure Comics, another seminal series that ran for decades until issue #503 in 1983, and was later revived in 2009.The third and final title published under his aegis would be Detective Comics, advertised with a cover illustration dated December 1936, but eventually premiering three months later, with a March 1937 cover date. Wheeler-Nicholson was in debt to printing-plant owner and magazine distributor Harry Donenfeld, who was, as well, a pulp-magazine publisher and a principal in the magazine distributorship Independent News. Wheeler-Nicholson took Donenfeld on as a partner in order to publish Detective Comics #1 through the newly formed Detective Comics, Inc., with Wheeler-Nicholson and Jack S. Liebowitz, Donenfeld's accountant, listed as owners. Wheeler-Nicholson was forced out a year later.
Originally an anthology comic, in the manner of the times, Detective Comics #1 featured stories in the "hard-boiled detective" genre, with such stars as Ching Lung ; Slam Bradley ; and Speed Saunders, among others. Its first editor, Vin Sullivan, also drew the debut issue's cover. The Crimson Avenger debuted in issue #20.
Early issues of the series have been criticized for their racism and xenophobia.
Batman / Bruce Wayne
featured the first appearance of Batman. That superhero would eventually become the star of the title, the cover logo of which is often written as "Detective Comics featuring Batman". Because of its significance, issue #27 is widely considered one of the most valuable comic books in existence, with one copy selling for $1,075,000 in a February 2010 auction.Batman's origin is first revealed in a two-page story in issue #33. Batman became the main cover feature of the title beginning with issue #35. Issue #38 introduced Batman's sidekick Robin, billed as "The Sensational Character Find of 1940" on the cover and the first of several characters that would make up the "Batman Family." Robin's appearance and the subsequent increase in sales of the book soon led to the trend of superheroes and young sidekicks that characterize the era that fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. Several of Batman's best known villains debuted in the pages of Detective Comics during this era, including the Penguin in issue #58, Two-Face in issue #66, and the Riddler in issue #140.
Batwoman first appeared in Detective Comics #233. Since the family formula had proven very successful for the Superman franchise, editor Jack Schiff suggested to Batman co-creator Bob Kane that he create one for the Batman. A female was chosen first, to offset the charges made by Fredric Wertham that Batman and Robin were homosexual. Writer Bill Finger and artist Sheldon Moldoff introduced Bat-Mite in issue #267 and Clayface in #298.
In 1964, Julius Schwartz was made responsible for reviving the fading Batman titles. Writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino jettisoned the sillier aspects that had crept into the franchise such as Ace the Bathound and Bat-Mite and gave the character a "New Look" that premiered in Detective Comics #327. Schwartz, Gardner Fox, and Infantino introduced, from the William Dozier produced TV series, Barbara Gordon as a new version of Batgirl in a story titled "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!" in issue #359. Mike Friedrich wrote the 30th anniversary Batman story in Detective Comics #387 which was drawn by Bob Brown.
Writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams had their first collaboration on Batman on the story "The Secret of the Waiting Graves" in issue #395. The duo, under the direction of Schwartz, would revitalize the character with a series of noteworthy stories reestablishing Batman's dark, brooding nature and taking the books away from the campy look and feel of the 1966–68 ABC TV series. Comics historian Les Daniels observed that "O'Neil's interpretation of Batman as a vengeful obsessive-compulsive, which he modestly describes as a return to the roots, was actually an act of creative imagination that has influenced every subsequent version of the Dark Knight." Adams introduced the Man-Bat with writer Frank Robbins in Detective Comics #400. O'Neil and artist Bob Brown crafted Batman's first encounter with the League of Assassins in Detective Comics #405 and created Talia al Ghul in issue #411.
After publishing on a monthly schedule throughout its run, Detective Comics became a bi-monthly book from issues #435 to #445. Issues #438 to #445 of the series were in the 100 Page Super Spectacular format. O'Neil and artist Dick Giordano created the Batman supporting character Leslie Thompkins in the story "There Is No Hope in Crime Alley" appearing in issue #457. Writer Steve Englehart and artist Marshall Rogers produced an acclaimed run of Batman stories in Detective Comics #471–476, and provided one of the definitive interpretations that influenced the 1989 Batman movie and would be adapted for the 1990s. The Englehart and Rogers pairing, was described in 2009 by comics writer and historian Robert Greenberger as "one of the greatest" creative teams to work on the Batman character. In their story "The Laughing Fish", the Joker is brazen enough to disfigure fish with a rictus grin, then expects to be granted a federal trademark on them, only to start killing the bureaucrats who try to explain to him that obtaining such a claim on a natural resource is legally impossible.
Writer Len Wein and Rogers co-created the third version of the supervillain Clayface in Detective Comics #478. From issue #481 through #495, the magazine adopted the expanded Dollar Comics format used by the canceled Batman Family, adding solo features including "Robin: the Teen Wonder", "Batgirl", the "Human Target" and the anthology "Tales of Gotham City", which featured stories of the city's ordinary people. Julius Schwartz, who had edited the title for most of its run since 1964, left the series as of issue #484 The original Katherine Kane also known as "Batwoman" was killed in the lead story in issue #485 by the League of Assassins.
The title's 500th issue featured stories by several well-known creators including television writer Alan Brennert and Walter B. Gibson best known for his work on the pulp fiction character The Shadow. Also used during the 1980s was the use of serialization of the main Batman story, with stories from Detective Comics and Batman directly flowing from one book to another, with cliffhangers at the end of each book's monthly story that would be resolved in the other title of that month. A single writer handled both books during that time beginning with Gerry Conway and followed up by Doug Moench. The supervillain Killer Croc made a shadowy cameo in issue #523. Noted author Harlan Ellison wrote the Batman story in issue #567.
Writer Mike W. Barr and artists Alan Davis and Todd McFarlane crafted the "" storyline in Detective Comics #575–578 which followed up on Frank Miller's "". Writer Alan Grant and artist Norm Breyfogle introduced the Ventriloquist in their first Batman story together and the Ratcatcher in their third. Sam Hamm, who wrote the screenplay for Tim Burton's Batman, wrote the "Blind Justice" story in Detective Comics issues #598–600. Chuck Dixon became the writer of the series with issue #644. He and Tom Lyle co-created the Electrocutioner in Detective Comics #644 and Stephanie Brown in Detective Comics #647.
The "" storyline began in issue #700. The "No Man's Land" storyline crossed over into Detective Comics in issues #730–741. Writer Greg Rucka and artist Shawn Martinbrough became the creative team as of issue #742 and created the Sasha Bordeaux character in issue #751. Issue #800 was written by Andersen Gabrych and drawn by Pete Woods. Paul Dini became the writer of the series as of issue #821 and created a new version of the Ventriloquist in #827. Scott Snyder became the writer of Detective Comics with issue #871.
Backup features
In addition to the Batman stories, the title has had numerous back-up strips. The Boy Commandos by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby debuted in Detective Comics #64 and were then soon spun off into their own title. The character Roy Raymond first appeared in issue #153. The Martian Manhunter was created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa in the back-up story "The Strange Experiment of Dr. Erdel" in Detective Comics #225. After issue #326, the Martian Manhunter was moved to House of Mystery and in #327 the Elongated Man and his wife, now remodeled after Dashiell Hammett's Nick and Nora Charles, took over. The characters crossed over with Batman three times. The Elongated Man run lasted until #383 and his feature returned sporadically 15 times until #572, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the title by teaming him up with Batman, Robin, Slam Bradley and Sherlock Holmes against Edgar Moriarty, the great-grandnephew of Professor Moriarty. After the Elongated Man backup feature ended, Batgirl held the role until #424. After moving her to Batman Family, she returned from #481 to #519. Jason Bard appeared as the backup feature in the odd-numbered issues of Detective from #425 to #435. Manhunter was resurrected in a story by Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson in issue #437. With the last episode of the series, Manhunter moved to the front of the book in a full-length team-up with Batman. Green Arrow became the backup feature starting with issue #521 and running until #567. Black Canary received a new costume in the back-up story in issue #554. DC Comics Bonus Books were included in issues #589 and #595.After a lengthy absence, the back-up features returned for issues #746–810. These were more closed-ended stories featuring new and established characters in the Batman mythos. The first was "The Jacobian" in issues #746–757, followed by a one-part Batman story in #758. The following issues, #759–762, featured Slam Bradley and was a lead-in to the 2002 Catwoman series. Issues #763–772 feature Josephine "Josie Mac" MacDonald, a Gotham police detective. Issues #773–775 are titled "Tales of Gotham" and feature Detectives Crispus Allen and Renee Montoya. Batman starred in "Spore" from issues #776–780. #781 featured a special Elseworlds tale, while #782 featured a Batman solo tale. #783 featured a prelude to the "Death and the Maidens" miniseries and #784 featured a Josie Mac tale. The "Tales of Gotham" resumed in issues #785–788 with "The Dogcatcher", and #789–794 featured "The Tailor". "Polished Stone", featuring Green Arrow and Onyx ran in issues #795–796. "Low" featuring the Riddler and Poison Ivy, ran from #797–799. Detective Comics #800 featured a short Batman back-up under the "Tales of Gotham" banner. A four-issue story featuring the Barker entitled "When You're Strange" was next, and "Mud" in issue #805. A two-part story featuring Alfred was followed by the last back-up, a three part Killer Croc story.
The "Manhunter" series that ran as a backup in Detective Comics from 1973 to 1974 won the Shazam Award for "Best Individual Short Story " in 1974 for the story "Cathedral Perilous" in issue #441, written by Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson.
Batwoman
In 2009, as part of a planned reorganization of the Batman universe due to the events shown in Batman R.I.P. and Final Crisis, Detective Comics went on hiatus for three months while DC Comics published the Battle for the Cowl miniseries. Upon its return, the series featured the newly reintroduced Batwoman as the new star of the book, as well as a 10-page back-up feature starring Renee Montoya as the new Question. The series returned Batman to a starring role in early 2010.''The New 52''
DC Comics relaunched Detective Comics with issue #1 in September 2011, as part of The New 52. The series was written and drawn by Tony Daniel until the 12th issue, with the team of John Layman and Jason Fabok beginning with issue #13.The first issue of the relaunched Detective Comics has received six printings, second only to the relaunched Justice League which had seven printings. The series' 7th issue was also DC Comic's 6th highest selling digital comic, ranking above many other series in the Batman category. Scott West of Sciencefiction.com gave the series' third arc a positive review, stating that "After last month's disappointing ‘Night of the Owls’ tie-in issue, it's nice to see ‘Detective Comics’ getting back to where it should be...good detective stories." The relaunched Detective Comics received the award for "Best Series" at the 2012 Stan Lee Awards. The series' first collected edition would reach the number 1 spot on The New York Times Best Seller list in the category of "Hardcover Graphic Books".
Daniel wrote and penciled the series until the Night of the Owls crossover, at which point Ed Benes, Julio Ferreira, and Eduardo Pansica began drawing the series for a three-issue arc. The price of Detective Comics was increased due to the addition of a backup feature starring Batman villain Two-Face, which was written by Daniel and illustrated by Syzmon Kudranski, this followed a similar backup featuring Professor Hugo Strange. Daniel left the series with issue #12 being his last as writer and the "0" issue his last as penciller.
DC celebrated the first anniversary of The New 52 in September 2012 by publishing a number "0" of each original New 52 title which act as prequels to the series and reveal previously unexplained plot elements. Gregg Hurwitz wrote the "0" issue. Hurwitz was approached by Daniel to write the "0" issue due to Daniel's busy schedule. To follow up on the Night of the Owls elements in Detective Comics, Daniel wrote Detective Comics Annual #1 which was pencilled by Romano Molenaar and inked by Sandu Florea.
Following Daniel's tenure on the series, John Layman became the new writer and Jason Fabok the new artist with James Tynion IV writing the backup features and Syzmon Kudranski remaining as artist for Tynion's first feature. With issue #19 of Detective Comics vol. 2, released on April 3, 2013, the series reached 900 issues as combined with the first volume of the series, and was a special oversized celebratory issue. Under Layman, the series featured its first crossover, Gothtopia after which Layman and Fabok moved to the Batman Eternal series and Detective Comics was taken over by Brain Buccalleto and Francis Manapul.
In commemoration of the second anniversary of The New 52, DC Comics announced "Villains Month" with Detective Comics getting four issues. The issues starred Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, the Scarecrow, and the Man-Bat, and, respectively, being numbered #23.1, #23.2, #23.3, and #23.4, by an ensemble of writers and artists.
For the 75th anniversary of Batman, issue #27 was a larger-sized issue featuring new stories by Brad Meltzer and Bryan Hitch, Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy, Peter Tomasi and Ian Bertram, John Layman and Jason Fabok, Gregg Hurwitz and Neal Adams, Mike W. Barr and Guillem March, and one written and drawn by Francesco Francavilla. In addition, variant covers to the issue were by Greg Capullo, Frank Miller, Chris Burnham, Jim Lee, Jason Fabok, and Tony Daniel. Single page artwork included work by Kelley Jones, Mike Allred, Patrick Gleason, and Jock.
2016 - present
In February 2016, DC Comics announced that as part of the company's continuity relaunch called DC Rebirth, Detective Comics would resume its original numbering system with June 2016's issue #934. The 52 issues of Detective Comics volume 2 were added to the original count of 881 issues from Detective Comics volume 1, making Detective Comics #934 the premier issue following the events of 2016's DC Rebirth. The series was published twice-monthly.The creative team beginning with issue #934 included writer James Tynion IV and artists Eddy Barrows and Alvaro Martinez. The series featured a team led by Batman and Batwoman, operating out of a secondary base in the heart of Gotham known as the Belfry. Team members initially included Red Robin, Spoiler, Orphan and Clayface, with Batwing and Azrael later recruited as new members. This status quo ended with the conclusion of Tynion's run on the series in issue #981, published May 2018. In the interim period without a permanent writer, Bryan Edward Hill wrote the story arc "On the Outside" over issues #983-987 as a prelude to his ongoing series Batman and the Outsiders which also includes Cassandra Cain as a main character. Incumbent writer Peter Tomasi began on the series with issue #994, published December 2018.
On March 27, 2019, DC Comics released the series' 1,000th issue, marking the second comic book in history to reach that milestone after Action Comics in 2018. The issue, which coincided with Batman's 80th anniversary, is an anthology featuring several stories from a variety of different creative teams.
Batman Character debuts
| Character | Issue | Publication |
| Batman | #27 | May 1939 |
| Commissioner Gordon | #27 | May 1939 |
| Doctor Death | #29 | July 1939 |
| The Monk | #31 | Sept. 1939 |
| Julie Madison | #31 | Sept. 1939 |
| Dala | #32 | Oct. 1939 |
| Joe Chill | #33 | Nov. 1939 |
| Professor Hugo Strange | #36 | Feb. 1940 |
| Robin | #38 | April 1940 |
| Clayface | #40 | June 1940 |
| The Penguin | #58 | December 1941 |
| Mr. Baffle | #63 | May 1942 |
| The Boy Commandos | #64 | June 1942 |
| Two-Face | #66 | Aug. 1942 |
| Tweedledum and Tweedledee | #74 | April 1943 |
| The Cavalier | #81 | Nov. 1943 |
| The Riddler | #140 | October 1948 |
| Pow Wow Smith | #151 | Sept. 1949 |
| Roy Raymond | #153 | Nov. 1949 |
| The Red Hood | #168 | Feb. 1951 |
| The Firefly | #184 | June 1952 |
| Mirror Man | #213 | Nov. 1954 |
| The Batmen of All Nations | #215 | Jan. 1955 |
| The Martian Manhunter | #225 | Nov. 1955 |
| The Mad Hatter | #230 | April 1956 |
| Batwoman | #233 | July 1956 |
| Diane Meade | #246 | Aug. 1957 |
| The Terrible Trio | #253 | March 1958 |
| The Calendar Man | #259 | Sept. 1958 |
| Dr. Double X | #261 | Nov. 1958 |
| Bat-Mite | #267 | May 1959 |
| Clayface | #298 | Dec. 1961 |
| The Catman | #311 | Jan. 1963 |
| Zook | #311 | Jan. 1963 |
| The Idol Head of Diabolu | #326 | April 1964 |
| The Outsider | #334 | Dec. 1964 |
| The Blockbuster | #345 | Nov. 1965 |
| The Cluemaster | #351 | May 1966 |
| Batgirl | #359 | Jan. 1967 |
| Jason Bard | #392 | Oct. 1969 |
| The Man-Bat | #400 | June 1970 |
| Talia al Ghul | #411 | May 1971 |
| Harvey Bullock | #441 | July 1974 |
| Leslie Thompkins | #457 | March 1976 |
| The Calculator | #463 | Sept. 1976 |
| Doctor Phosphorus | #469 | May 1977 |
| "Boss" Rupert Thorne | #469 | May 1977 |
| Silver St. Cloud | #470 | June 1977 |
| Clayface | #478 | July 1978 |
| Maxie Zeus | #483 | May 1979 |
| The Swashbuckler | #493 | March 1980 |
| Killer Croc | #523 | Feb. 1983 |
| Onyx | #546 | Jan. 1985 |
| The Ventriloquist | #583 | Feb. 1988 |
| The Ratcatcher | #585 | April 1988 |
| Anarky | #608 | Nov. 1989 |
| Renee Montoya | #642 | March 1992 |
| Stephanie Brown | #647 | Jun. 1992 |
| Cypher | #657 | March 1993 |
| Crispus Allen | #742 | March 2000 |
| Sasha Bordeaux | #751 | Dec. 2000 |
| Nyssa Raatko | #783 | Aug. 2003 |
| The Ventriloquist | #827 | March 2007 |
| The Dollmaker | vol. 2 #1 | Sept. 2011 |
| Dollhouse | vol. 2 #2 | Oct. 2011 |
| Mister Toxic | vol. 2 #2 | Oct. 2011 |
| Eli Strange | vol. 2 #5 | March 2012 |
| Emperor Blackgate | vol. 2 #13 | Nov. 2012 |
| The Merrymaker | vol. 2 #17 | Feb. 2013 |
| Anarky | vol. 2 #37 | Feb. 2015 |
| The Arkham Knight | #1,000 | May 2019 |
Collected editions
Volume 1 (1937-2011)
The Detective Comics series has been collected into a number of trade paperbacks and hardback collections.Batman Archive editions
All DC Archive Editions are hardback only and printed on high quality archival paper.| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
| Batman Archives Vol. 1 | Stories from Detective Comics #27–50 | November 1997 | HC: |
| Batman Archives Vol. 2 | Stories from Detective Comics #51–70 | November 1997 | HC: |
| Batman Archives Vol. 3 | Stories from Detective Comics #71–86 | November 1997 | HC: |
| Batman Archives Vol. 4 | Stories from Detective Comics #87–102 | December 1998 | HC: |
| Batman Archives Vol. 5 | Stories from Detective Comics #103–119 | April 2001 | HC: |
| Batman Archives Vol. 6 | Stories from Detective Comics #120–135 | August 2005 | HC: |
| Batman Archives Vol. 7 | Stories from Detective Comics #136–154 | November 2007 | HC: |
| Batman Archives Vol. 8 | Stories from Detective Comics #155–170 | July 2012 | HC: |
| Batman: The Dynamic Duo Archives Vol. 1 | Batman #164–166; Detective Comics #327–333 | March 2003 | HC: |
| Batman: The Dynamic Duo Archives Vol. 2 | Batman #168–171; Detective Comics #334–339 | June 2006 | HC: |
Batman Chronicles
The Batman Chronicles series plans to reprint every Batman adventure in color, in chronological order, in affordable trade paperbacks. It is not to be confused with the now-finished series of the same name.| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 1 | Detective Comics #27–38; Batman #1 | April 2005 | SC: |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 2 | Detective Comics #39–45; Batman #2–3; New York World's Fair Comics #2 | September 2006 | SC: |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 3 | Detective Comics #46–50; Batman #4–5; World's Best Comics #1 | May 2007 | SC: |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 4 | Detective Comics #51–56; World's Finest Comics #2–3; Batman #6–7 | October 2007 | SC: |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 5 | Detective Comics #57–61; World's Finest Comics #4; Batman #8–9 | April 2008 | SC: |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 6 | Detective Comics #62–66; World's Finest Comics #5–6; Batman #10–11 | October 2008 | SC: |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 7 | Detective Comics #67–70; World's Finest Comics #7; Batman #12–13 | March 2009 | SC: |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 8 | Detective Comics #71–74; World's Finest Comics #8–9; Batman #14–15 | October 2009 | SC: |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 9 | Detective Comics #75–77; World's Finest Comics #10; Batman #16–17 | March 2010 | SC: |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 10 | Detective Comics #78–81; World's Finest Comics #11; Batman #18–19 | December 2010 | SC: |
| Batman Chronicles Vol. 11 | Detective Comics #82–85; World's Finest Comics #12; Batman #20–21 | January 2013 | SC: |
Showcase Presents
All Showcase Presents collections are large, softcover, black and white only reprints.| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
| Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 1 | Detective Comics #327–342; Batman #164–174 | August 2006 | SC: |
| Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 2 | Detective Comics #343–358; Batman #175, #177–181, #183–184, #188 | June 2007 | SC: |
| Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 3 | Detective Comics #359–375; Batman #189–192, #194–197, #199–201 | July 2008 | SC: |
| Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 4 | Detective Comics #376–390; Batman #202–215 | July 2009 | SC: |
| Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 5 | Detective Comics #391–404; Batman #216–228 | December 2011 | SC: |
| Showcase Presents: Batman Vol. 6 | Detective Comics #408–426; Batman #229–244 | January 2016 | SC: 978-1401251536 |
| Showcase Presents: Martian Manhunter Vol. 1 | Detective Comics #225–304 | July 2007 | SC: 978-1401213688 |
| Showcase Presents: Martian Manhunter Vol. 2 | Detective Comics #305–326 | May 2009 | SC: 978-1401222567 |
| Showcase Presents: Robin, the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 | Robin stories from Detective Comics #386, 390, 394–395, 398–403, 445, 447, 450–451 | January 2008 | SC: 978-1401216764 |
| Showcase Presents: Batgirl Vol. 1 | Batgirl stories from Detective Comics #359, 363, 369, 371, 384–385, 388–389, 392–393, 396–397, 400–401, 404–424 | July 2007 | SC: 978-1401213671 |
| Showcase Presents: Enemy Ace Vol. 1 | includes Enemy Ace story from Detective Comics #404 | February 2008 | SC: 978-1401217211 |
Celebration hardcovers
Starting in 2014, DC began releasing character retrospective anthologies, several of which feature issues of Detective Comics| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
| Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years | Detective Comics vol. 1 #27, #83, #211, #216, #327, #359, #395, #442, #474, #574, #633, #711, #757, #821, Batman vol. 1 #1, #49, #181, # 497, Batman vol. 2 #2, World's Finest Comics #94, DC Special Series #21, Batman Special #1 | July 2014 | 978-1401247584 |
| Robin the Boy Wonder: A Celebration of 75 Years | Detective Comics vol. 1 #38, 342; Batman vol. 1 #20, #107, #156, #408, #428, #442, #657; Star-Spangled Comics #82, #86, #103; Batman Family #1; Nightwing #25, #101; Superman/Batman #7, #77; Robin vol. 4 #46, #126; Batman & Robin Annual #1; Justice League of America #55; DC One Million 80-Page Giant #1,000,000 | May 2015 | 978-1401255367 |
| The Joker: A Celebration of 75 Years | Batman vol. 1 #1, 5, 25, 32, 85, 163, 251, 427, Batman vol. 2 #15, Detective Comics #64, 168, 180, 475, 476, 726, 741, 826, Detective Comics vol. 2 #1, World's Finest Comics #61, Superman vol. 2 #9, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #66 | July 2014 | 978-1401247591 |
| Two-Face: A Celebration of 75 Years | Detective Comics vol. 1 #66, 68, 80, 739; Batman vol. 1 #50, 81, 234, 410–411, 572; Batman Annual #14; The Brave and the Bold #106; Joker #1; Secret Origins #1; Batman: Black and White #1; Gotham Central #10; Joker's Asylum: Two-Face; Batman and Robin #23. | November 2017 | 978-1-4012-7438-2 |
| Green Arrow: A Celebration of 75 Years | More Fun Comics #73, 89; Leading Comics #1; Adventure Comics #256; Justice League of America #4; The Brave and the Bold #85; Green Lantern/Green Arrow #85, 86, 90; Detective Comics #549–550; 559; Green Arrow vol. 2 #24, 100–101; Green Arrow vol. 3 #4, 18; Green Arrow Year One #2; Green Arrow and Black Canary Wedding Special #1; Justice League #8; Green Arrow vol. 4 #24 | July 2016 | 978-1401263867 |
Tales of The Batman/Legends of the Dark Knight
These hardcover books reprint issues by particular creators and contain many issues of Detective Comics, as well as other Batman titles.| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
| Tales of the Batman: Carmine Infantino | Detective Comics #327–347, 349, 351–371, 500, Batman #166–175, 181, 183–184, 188–192, 194–199, The Brave and the Bold #172, 183, 190, 194, DC Comics Presents: Batman #1. | June 2014 | 9781401247553 |
| Tales of the Batman: Len Wein | Detective Comics #408, 444–448, 466, 478–479, 500, 514, Batman #307–310, 312–319, 321–324, 326–327, World's Finest Comics #207, DC Retroactive Batman – The 70s, Untold Legends of the Batman #1–3, Batman Black and White #5 | December 2014 | 978-1401251543 |
| Tales of the Batman: Archie Goodwin | Batman stories from Detective Comics #437–438 and #440–442, the Manhunter stories from #437–442, and the Batman/Manhunter team-up from #443; Detective Comics Annual #3; Showcase '95 #11; Batman Black and White #1 and 4; #132–136; the Batman: Night Cries graphic novel | July 2013 | 978-1401238292 |
| Legends of the Dark Knight: Jim Aparo Volume 3 | Detective Comics #444–446, Batman Family #17, The Brave and the Bold #152, 154, 155, 157–162, 168–170, 173–178, 180–182, The Untold Legend of the Batman #1–3 | September 2017 | 978-1401271619 |
| Legends of the Dark Knight: Michael Golden | Batman Family #15-20, Batman #295, 303, DC Special Series #15, Detective Comics #482, Batman Special #1, Batman: Gotham Knights #22 Covers from Detective Comics #625-626, 628-631, 633, 644-646, Batman #484-485, Showcase '93, Nightwing #66-77 & #129-130 and the Man-Bat entry from Who's Who in the DC Universe #12 | June 2019 | 978-1401289614 |
| Legends of the Dark Knight: Marshall Rogers | Detective Comics #468, 471–476, 478–479, 481; DC Special Series #15; Secret Origins #6; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #132–136; Batman: Dark Detective #1–6 | November 2011 | 978-1401232276 |
| Tales of the Batman: Don Newton | Detective Comics #480, 483–497; Batman #305–306, 328; The Brave and the Bold #153, 156 and 165 | December 2011 | 978-1401232948 |
| Tales of the Batman: Alan Brennert | The Brave and the Bold #178, 181, 182 and 197, Detective Comics #500, Batman: Holy Terror | July 2016 | 978-1401263492 |
| Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway Volume 1 | Detective Comics #463, 464, 497–499, 501–504, The Brave And The Bold #158, 161, 171–174, Batman #295, 305, 306, Batman Family #17, Man-Bat #1, World's Finest Comics #250, #269 | July 2017 | 978-1401272555 |
| Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway Volume 2 | Detective Comics #505–513, Batman #337–346, 348; World's Finest Comics #270 | August 2018 | 978-1401281632 |
| Tales of the Batman: Gerry Conway Volume 3 | Detective Comics #515-526, Batman #349-359 | September 2019 | 978-1401292737 |
| Tales of the Batman: Gene Colan Volume One | Detective Comics #517, 520, 523, 528–529 and Batman #340, 343–345, 348–351 | August 2011 | 978-1401231019 |
| Tales of the Batman: Gene Colan Volume Two | Batman #373, Detective Comics #530–538 and #540–544, World's Finest Comics #297 and #299 | March 2018 | 978-1401277697 |
| Legends of the Dark Knight: Alan Davis | Detective Comics #569–575, Batman: Full Circle, Batman: Gotham Knights #25 | February 2013 | 978-1401236816 |
| Legends of the Dark Knight: Norm Breyfogle Volume One | Detective Comics #579, 582–594, 601–607, stories from Batman Annual #11–12 | July 2015 | 978-1401258986 |
| Legends of the Dark Knight: Norm Breyfogle Volume Two | Detective Comics #608-621 and Batman #455-459 | November 2018 | 978-1401285128 |
| Tales of the Batman: J.H. Williams | Batman #526,550, 667–669, Batman Annual #21, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #86–88, 192–196, Chase #7–8, Detective Comics #821 | July 2014 | 978-1401247621 |
Other editions
Many of these other editions are anthologies containing comics from titles other than Detective Comics. Titles here are presented as close to chronologically as possible.| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
| Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Volume 1 | Detective Comics #359, 363, 369, 371, 384–386, 388–389, 392–393, 396–397, 400–401, 404–424, 481–499, 501–502, 505–506, 508–510, 512–519, Batman #197 and Batman Family #1, 3–7 and 9–20. | December 2017 | 978-1401276409 |
| Manhunter: The Special Edition | Manhunter backup stories from #437–442 and the Batman/Manhunter crossover in #443, Manhunter #1, and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #100 | June 1999 | 978-1-56389-374-2 |
| Batman: Strange Apparitions | Detective Comics #469–476, #478–479 | December 1999 | 978-1-56389-500-5 |
| ' | Includes Night Olympics featuring Green Arrow and Black Canary from Detective Comics #549–550 | January 2006 | 978-1-4012-0927-8 |
| ' | Detective Comics #575–578 | January 1990 December 2002 | 978-0-930289-49-2 978-1563899676 |
| 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition | Detective Comics #575–578; Batman: Full Circle | November 2017 | 978-1401274566 |
| Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Volume 1 | Detective Comics #568-574; 579-582 | April 2018 | 978-1401271084 |
| Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Volume 2 | Detective Comics #583-591, Annual #1 | October 2018 | 978-1401284688 |
| Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Volume 3 | Detective Comics #592-600 | February 2020 | 978-1779501011 |
| Batman: Blind Justice | Detective Comics #598–600 | May 2005 | 978-1-56389-047-5 |
| ' | Detective Comics #608–609, Batman Chronicles #1, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #40–41, and Anarky #1–4 | February 1999 | 978-1-56389-437-4 |
| Batman: Knightfall Volume 1 | Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1, Batman #491–500, Detective Comics #659–666, Showcase '93 #7–8 Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16–18 | May 2012 | 978-1401233792 |
| Batman: Knightfall Volume 2: Knightquest | Detective Comics #667–675, Shadow of the Bat #19–20, 24–28, Batman #501–508, Catwoman #6–7 Robin #7 | May 2012 | 978-1401235369 |
| Batman: Knightfall Volume 3: KnightsEnd | Batman #509–510, 512–514, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #29–30, 32–34, Detective Comics #676–677, 679–681, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #62–63, Robin #8–9, 11–13, Catwoman #12–13 | September 2012 | 978-1401237219 |
| Batman: Prelude to Knightfall | Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1, Batman #484-491, Detective Comics #654-658 | September 2018 | 978-1401284220 |
| Batman: Knightfall Vol. 1 | Batman #492-497, Detective Comics #659-663 | September 2018 | 978-1401284299 |
| Batman: Knightfall Vol. 2 | Batman #498-500, Detective Comics #664-666, Showcase '93 #7-8, Shadow of the Bat #16-18 | September 2018 | 978-1401284398 |
| Batman: Knightquest: The Crusade Vol. 1 | Detective Comics #667-670, Robin #1-2, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #19-20, Batman #501-504, Catwoman #6-7 | October 2018 | 978-1401284503 |
| Batman: Knightquest: The Crusade Vol. 2 | Detective Comics #671-675, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #24-28, Batman #505-508, Showcase '94 #7 | October 2018 | 978-1401284589 |
| Batman: KnightsEnd | Batman #509-510, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #29-30, Detective Comics #676-677, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #62-63, Robin #8-9, Catwoman #12-13, Showcase '94 #10 | December 2018 | 978-1401285180 |
| Batman: | Batman #0, #511; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #0, 31; Detective Comics #0, 678; Catwoman #0, 14; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #0; Robin #0, 10. | June 2017 | 978-1401272586 |
| Batman: Prodigal | Batman #512-514, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #32-34, Detective Comics #679-681 and Robin #0 and #11-13 | January 2019 | 978-1401285609 |
| Batman: Troika | Batman #515, Batman: Shadow of The Bat #35, Detective Comics #682, Robin #14, Nightwing: Alfred Returns and Batman: Vengeance of Bane II | February 2019 | 978-1401285876 |
| Robin Vol. 5: War of the Dragons | Robin #14-22, Robin Annual #3 and Detective Comics #685-686 | January 2018 | 978-1401275129 |
| Batman: Contagion | Collects Azrael #15–16, Batman #529, Batman Chronicles #4, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #48–49, Catwoman #31–35, Detective Comics #695–696, Robin #27–30 | March 2016 | 978-1401260682 |
| Batman: Legacy Volume 1 | Batman #533, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #53, Catwoman #33–35, Detective Comics #697–700 and Robin #31. | April 2017 | 978-1401272029 |
| Batman: Legacy Volume 2 | Batman #534, Batman: Bane #1, Batman: Bane of the Demon #1–4, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #54, Detective Comics #701–702, Robin #32–33 | February 2018 | 978-1401277611 |
| Batman: Cataclysm | Batman #553–554, Detective Comics #719–721, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73–74, Nightwing #19–20, Catwoman #56–57, Robin #52–53, Azrael #40, Batman Chronicles #12, Batman: Blackgate #1, Batman: Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma #1, and Batman: Arkham Asylum - Tales of Madness #1 | June 2015 | 978-1401255152 |
| Batman: Road to No Man's Land Volume 1 | Detective Comics #722, 724–726, Batman #555–559, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #75–79, Robin #54, and Batman Chronicles #14 | October 2015 | 978-1401258276 |
| Batman: Road to No Man's Land Volume 2 | Detective Comics #727–729, Batman #560–562, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #80–82, Batman Chronicles #15, Azrael #47–50, and Batman: No Man's Land Secret Files & Origins #1 | July 2016 | 978-1401260637 |
| Batman: No Man's Land Volume 1 | Batman: No Man's Land #1, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83–86, Batman #563–566, Detective Comics #730–733, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #51–55, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #117–118, Batman Chronicles #16 | December 2011 | 978-1401232283 |
| Batman: No Man's Land Volume 2 | Batman #567–568, Detective Comics #734–735, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #119–121, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #87–88, Batman Chronicles #17, Robin #67, Nightwing #35–37, Catwoman #72–74, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #56–57, Young Justice: No Man's Land #1 | April 2012 | 978-1401233808 |
| Batman: No Man's Land Volume 3 | Batman #569-71, Detective Comics #736–738, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #58, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #122–124, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #89–92, Robin #68–72, and Batman: No Man's Land Secret Files and Origins #1 | August 2012 | 978-1401234560 |
| Batman: No Man's Land Volume 4 | Batman Chronicles #18, Batman #572–574, Detective Comics #739–741, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #125–126, Robin #73, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #93–94, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #59–61, Catwoman #75–77, Nightwing #38–39 and Batman: No Man's Land #0 | December 2012 | 978-1401235642 |
| Batman: Evolution | Detective Comics #743–750 | August 2001 | 978-1-56389-726-9 |
| Batman: New Gotham Volume 1 | Detective Comics #742–753 | May 2017 | 978-1401263676 |
| Batman: Officer Down | Batman #587, Robin #86, Birds of Prey #27, Catwoman #90, Nightwing #53, Detective Comics #754, Batman: Gotham Knights #13 | August 2001 | 978-1-56389-787-0 |
| Batman: New Gotham Volume 2 | Detective Comics #755–765 | March 2018 | 978-1401277949 |
| Batman: Bruce Wayne – Murderer? | Batgirl #24, 27, Batman #599–602, Batman: Gotham Knights #25–28, Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure #1, Birds Of Prey #39–41, 43, Detective Comics #766–767, Nightwing #65–66, 68–69 and Robin #98–99 | March 2014 | 978-1401246839 |
| Batman: Bruce Wayne – Fugitive | Batman #603–607, Detective Comics #768–775, Batman: Gotham Knights #29–32 and Batgirl #29, 33 | July 2014 | 978-1401246822 |
| ' | Detective Comics #784–786 and Batman: The Man Who Laughs | January 2008 February 2009 | 978-1-4012-1622-1 978-1-4012-1626-9 |
| Batman: War Drums | Detective Comics #790–796 and Robin #126–128 | October 2004 | 978-1-4012-0341-2 |
| Batman: War Games Act One – Outbreak | Batman: The 12-Cent Adventure, Detective Comics #797, Batman #631, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #182, Nightwing #96, Batman: Gotham Knights #56, Robin #129, Batgirl #55, Catwoman #34 | February 2006 | 978-1401204297 |
| Batman: War Games Act Two – Tides | Detective Comics #798, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #183, Nightwing #97, Batman: Gotham Knights #57, Robin #130, Batgirl #56, Catwoman #35, Batman #632 | June 2005 | 978-1401204303 |
| Batman: War Games Act Three – Endgame | Batgirl #57, Batman #633, Batman: Gotham Knights #58, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #184, Catwoman #36, Detective Comics #799, Nightwing #98, Robin 131 | October 2005 | 978-1401204310 |
| ' | Detective Comics #800–808, 811–814 | July 2006 | 978-1-4012-0897-4 |
| Batman: War Crimes | Batman #643–644, Detective Comics #809–810 | February 2006 | 978-1-4012-0903-2 |
| Batman Arkham: Victor Zsasz | Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1-4, a story from Batman Chronicles #3, Batman: Batgirl #1, Detective Comics #815-816, Batman: Streets of Gotham #10-11; a story from Detective Comics v2 #18 and the never-before-published story "Draining," originally intended for Gotham Knights #12. | February 2020 | 978-1401298975 |
| ' | Detective Comics #817–820, Batman #651–654 | September 2006 | 978-1-4012-0910-0 |
| Batman: Detective | Detective Comics #821–826 | April 2007 | 978-1-4012-1239-1 |
| Batman: Death and the City | Detective Comics #827–834 | November 2007 | 978-1-4012-1575-0 |
| Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul | Batman #670–671, Robin #168–169, Detective Comics #838–839, Nightwing #138–139, Batman Annual #26 and Robin Annual #7 | May 2009 | 978-1401220327 |
| Batman: Private Casebook | Detective Comics #840–845 and DC Infinite Halloween Special | December 2008 November 2009 | 978-1-4012-2009-9 978-1-4012-2015-0 |
| Batman: Heart of Hush | Detective Comics #846–850 | April 2009 March 2010 | 978-1-4012-2123-2 978-1-4012-2124-9 |
| Detective Comics #854–860 | July 2010 June 2011 | 978-1-4012-2692-3 978-1-4012-3146-0 | |
| Batwoman by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III | Detective Comics #854-863 | June 2017 | 978-1401274139 |
| Batman: Arkham Reborn | Battle For the Cowl: Arkham Asylum #1, Arkham Reborn #1-3, Detective Comics 864-865 | August 2010 | 978-1401227081 |
| Batman: Impostors | Detective Comics #867–870 | August 2011 | 978-1-4012-3144-6 |
| Batman: The Black Mirror | Detective Comics #871–881 | November 2011 | 978-1-4012-3206-1 |
''[The New 52]''
saw every DC Comics series collected in its entirety in trade paperback form. Notably, collected volumes of Detective Comics vol. 2 were published in hardcover editions first, with paperback editions being delayed until the release of the next hardcover volume.| # | Title | Material Collected | Publication date | ISBN |
| 1 | Faces of Death | Detective Comics vol. 2 #1–7 | HC: June 2012 SC: April 2013 | HC: 978-1401234669 SC: 978-1401234676 |
| 2 | Scare Tactics | Detective Comics vol. 2 #8–12, #0, Detective Comics Annual vol. 2 #1 | HC: April 2013 SC: November 2013 | HC: 978-1401238408 SC: 978-1401242657 |
| 3 | Emperor Penguin | Detective Comics vol. 2 #13–18 | HC: November 2013 SC: July 2014 | HC: 978-1401242664 SC: 978-1401246346 |
| 4 | The Wrath | Detective Comics vol. 2 #19–24, Detective Comics Annual vol. 2 #2 | HC: July 2014 SC: November 2014 | HC: 978-1401246334 SC: 978-1401249977 |
| 5 | Gothtopia | Detective Comics vol. 2 #25–29 | HC: November 2014 SC: May 2015 | HC: 978-1401249984 SC: 978-1401254667 |
| 6 | Icarus | Detective Comics vol. 2 #30–34, Detective Comics Annual vol. 2 #3 | HC: May 2015 SC: January 2016 | HC: 978-1401254421 SC: 978-1401258023 |
| 7 | Anarky | Detective Comics vol. 2 #35–40, Detective Comics: Endgame #1, Detective Comics: Futures End #1 | HC: January 2016 SC: August 2016 | HC: 978-1401257491 SC: 978-1401263546 |
| 8 | Blood of Heroes | Detective Comics vol. 2 #41–46 | HC: August 2016 SC: December 2016 | HC: 978-1401263553 SC: 978-1401269241 |
| 9 | Gordon at War | Detective Comics vol. 2 #47–52 | HC: December 2016 SC: June 2017 | HC: 978-1401269234 SC: 978-1401274115 |
Material from Detective Comics vol. 2 was also included in several collections of crossover events, each printed in both hardcover and softcover. In each case, the material consisted of tie-ins to the main event.
| Title | Material Collected | Publication date | ISBN |
| Batman: Night of the Owls | All-Star Western vol. 3 #9; Batman vol. 2 #8–9; Batman Annual vol. 2 #1; Batman: The Dark Knight vol. 2 #9; Detective Comics vol. 2 #9; Batgirl vol. 4 #9; Batwing #9; Birds of Prey vol. 3 #9; Nightwing vol. 3 #8–9; Batman and Robin vol. 2 #9; Catwoman vol. 4 #9; Red Hood and the Outlaws #9 | HC: February 2013 SC: November 2013 | HC: SC: |
| The Joker: | Catwoman vol. 4 #13–14; Batgirl vol. 4 #13–16; Suicide Squad vol. 4 #14–15; Batman and Robin vol. 2 #15–16; Nightwing vol. 3 #15–16; Detective Comics vol. 2 #15–16; Red Hood and the Outlaws #15–16; Teen Titans vol. 4 #15–16 | HC: October 2013 SC: April 2014 | HC: SC: |
| DC Comics: | Action Comics vol. 2 #25; Batgirl vol. 4 #25; Batman vol. 2 #24–25; Batwing #25; Batwoman #25; Birds of Prey vol. 3 #25; Catwoman vol. 4 #25; Detective Comics vol. 2 #25; Green Arrow vol. 6 #25; Green Lantern Corps vol. 3 #25; Nightwing vol. 3 #25; Red Hood and The Outlaws #25; The Flash vol. 4 #25 | HC: November 2014 SC: April 2015 | HC: SC: |
| The Joker: | Batman vol. 2 #35–40; Batman Annual vol. 2 #3; Gotham Academy: Endgame #1; Batgirl: Endgame #1; Detective Comics: Endgame #1; Arkham Manor: Endgame #1 | HC: September 2015 SC: May 2016 | HC: SC: |
''[DC Rebirth]'' to present
Volumes 1-5 were published with DC Rebirth trade dress on the cover. This was dropped from volume 6 onwards, coinciding with the end of "DC Rebirth" branding on the series from issue #970 onwards.Numbering on the collected editions was restarted from volume 1 with the start of Peter Tomasi's run as writer in issue #994. These volumes were published in hardcover editions first, before being reprinted in paperback.